The present invention relates to tufted goods, e.g. carpeting and artificial turf, comprising a greige good with fibers tufted into a primary backing, a precoat and/or foam adhered to the greige good, and a flexible film laminated to the back of the precoat and/or foam wherein the flexible film has been treated via corona-discharge. The present invention also relates to a greige good with fibers tufted into a primary backing, a precoat adhered to the back of the greige good, a flexible film laminated to the back of the precoat, and a foam adhered to the back of the flexible film, wherein the flexible film has been treated via corona-discharge. This invention also relates to a process for producing the finished tufted goods.
Tufted goods, including carpeting and artificial turf, are manufactured by tufting yarns into a primary backing. The tufts are secured by applying at least one adhesive formulation to the primary backing side of the carpet/primary backing (“greige good”). In the past, SBR latexes have seen widespread use as adhesives for such purposes. However, such latexes have numerous drawbacks. First, neither the hydrolytic stability nor the durability of the cured elastomer is entirely satisfactory. Second, as the latex is applied in the form of an aqueous dispersion, considerable energy is expended in evaporating the aqueous component.
Polyurethanes are an alternative to SBR latex. Polyurethanes, in general, exhibit greater chemical and physical stability as compared to SBR latexes. Furthermore, polyurethanes may be applied either as an expandable or as a frothed foam, and may perform the dual function of tuft binding and cushioning.
Tufted carpet and a process for preparing the tufted carpet is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,224. The tufted carpet of the '224 patent comprises a moisture barrier layer. More specifically, this carpet comprises a primary backing stitched with loops of yarn to form a tufted structure projecting outwardly from the primary backing, a layer of latex affixed to the primary backing, a layer of polyolefin affixed to the layer of latex, and a secondary backing comprising a woven polyolefin, which is affixed to the layer of polyolefin. The process described therein comprising providing a primary backing stitched with loops of yarn to form a tufted structure projecting outwardly from the primary backing, providing a secondary backing comprising a woven polyolefin, applying a layer of polyolefin onto the secondary backing, interposing a layer of latex between the primary backing and the polyolefin layer, and laminating the primary backing, the latex layer, the polyolefin layer, and secondary backing layer together.
Carpets having fluid barriers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,113. These carpets have a primary backing into which tufted yarn is stitched, a secondary backing to provide dimensional stability, and a thin film of a material which is impervious to spills, with the film being bonded to either the primary backing or the secondary backing by an adhesive which is provides an adequate bond and is insoluble to spilled fluids. Suitable materials for the thin film include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyester, polyvinylchloride (PVC), combinations thereof and similar thermoplastic materials which may be surface treated, as well as composite structures formed from laminates of these fibers with non-woven or woven fibers and either with or without reinforcing fibers. Corona treatment of the film on one side is broadly disclosed as possibly being sufficient to render the film bondable to the backing.
Advantages of the presently claimed invention include the fact that tufted goods (including carpets and artificial turf) can now be made without a secondary backing. In general, secondary backings have been necessary in carpets and in processes for producing carpets to provide dimensional stability. Applicants have found that corona-treatment of a flexible film which is contacted or laminated to a polyurethane precoated greige good or to a foam layer applied to a precoated greige good creates a bond that is strong enough to render the resultant cured carpeting article dimensionally stable, with no secondary backing. The delamination strength of these cured tufted goods exceeds that of conventional tufted goods. Although secondary backings can be included in the tufted goods of the present invention, this generally only further increases the costs of the processes and the resultant products, with no further improvements in properties.